Cabinets



March 30, 1965 w. H. SULLIVAN 3,175,872

CABIN-3T5 Filed May 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

FIG. 8

INVENTOR. WILLIAM H. SULLIVAN A TTORNEYSI March 30, 1965 w. H. SULLIVAN 3,175,872

CABINETS Filed May 25, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOK WILLIAM H. SULLIVAN 3; 41,021, 44wMgM A TTORNEYY March 30, 1965 w. H. SULLIVAN 3,175,872

CABINETS Filed May 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

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United States Patent 3,175,872 @ABINETS William H. Sullivan, Redford, @hio, assignor to B. L. llarhle Furniture, Inc, hedford, Ghio, a corporation of hio Filed May 2S, 1962, Ser. No. 197,673 Claims. (Cl. 312--1t7.5)

This invention relates to cabinets, and more particularly, to locking devices for cabinets.

It has become popular to replace conventional file cabinets and other office cabinets with cabinets of approximately desk height, in which a plurality of compartments are arranged side by side with drawers in some compartments and doors and shelves in other compart ments. The advantage or" this type of office furniture is that the top of the cabinet provides an additional work space and the entire cabinet contributes to a more attractive arrangement of the oflice furniture.

Such cabinets in which drawer and door closure compartment-s are arranged side by side may be locked by a separate key-operated locking device for each compartment, but this arrangement would require an excessive amount of time for locking and unlocking the cabinet.

Attempts have been made to reduce the number of locks required by providing a single lock on one of the closures, a door or a drawer, and an auxiliary lock mechanism within the cabinet, similar to the conventional desk locking mechanism, which is operated by the drawer or the door to lock the other compartments. Such a locking device has two major disadvantages. It has a complicated system of levers and springs, and if the cabinet is large and there are many compartments, it may not be possible to apply sufficient force at one closure to operate a locking device for all of the other compartments.

Due to the high cost of labor and materials, it has become increasingly important to use mass production techniques in producing furniture so that the cost of modern ofiice furniture is competitive with other conventional file cabinets. Furthermore, the costs of manufacturing can be reduced if the drawers and doors can be installed interchangeably in any of the compartments to meet the specific requirements of a particular purchaser. For example, in one office it may be necessary to have three compartments, the center compartment of which is fitted with shelves and a door and the two adjacent compartments have file drawers; but in another ofiice, a cabinet having four compartments is required of which the two end compartments have drawers and the two center compartments have door closures. It the compartments of the cabinets are to be completely interchange-able, the lock mechanism must be capable of locking either drawers or doors, whichever is assembled in a particular compartment of the cabinet. Furthermore, the lock mechanism must be capable of looking all of the closures from a single key-controlled lock.

To permit the maximum opportunity for positioning the cabinets in a room, it is preferable that the key insertion portion of the lock be located in the top of the cabinet, so that the end walls and back may be pushed fiush against a wall of the room or against another cabinet. The lock is then available in a convenient position for locking and unlocking the doors and drawers.

In view of the defects of the prior art cabinets and mechanisms for locking a plurality of horizontally spaced compartments, it is an object of this invention to provide a cabinet in which drawers or doors may be assembled selectively in compartments of the cabinet and having locking devices for interchangeably locking the drawers or doors.

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It is another object of this invention to provide a locking mechanism for simultaneously locking the closures of each compartment of a cabinet in. which a plurality of compartments are arranged horizontally.

A further object of this invention is to provide a looking device for a cabinet having a plurality of horizontally spaced compartments in which the lock is operable for either drawers or doors in the compartments.

It is another object of this invention to provide a locking device for cabinets in which the lock is operated through the top of the cabinet.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention by a cabinet structure having a plurality of partitions spaced hori zontally along the length of the cabinet to form compartments therebetween. Each of the partitions is provided with a rabbet extending to the top of the partition on one side thereof. A gang lock bar is mounted for longitudinal reciprocating motion across the top edge of each of the partitions. A plurality of notches are provided along the length of the bar with one set of notches positioned adjacent the partitions and another set of notches positioned intermediate the partitions.

In compartments which are closed by a door, a latch bar is mounted under the top of the cabinet for swinging movement and one end of the lever engages in one of the intermediate notches in the gang bar. The opposite end of the latch bar is in position to move into and out of a bracket on the door upon reciprocation of the gang bar for locking the door. In compartments which are adapted for sliding drawers, a latch rod is mounted in the rabbet in the partition and the end portion of the latch rod is bent to engage in a notch in the gang bar. A plurality of arms are secured to the latch rod and upon reciprocation of the gang bar, the end portion of the rod swings the arms into slots in the sides of the drawers for locking the drawers. Thus, cabinets may be assembled with any combination of drawers and doors without requiring special locking mechanisms for each arrangement, or individual locks for each drawer and door.

This preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cabinet, with the top removed; 7

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lock under the top, along the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the lock and cabinet, along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section of the cabinet, along the line 5-5 in FIG. 4, showing the latch arm in released position;

FIG. 6 is a similar view, but showing the drawer latch arm in locking position;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the cabinet, along the line 7-7 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view of the lock.

Referring to FIG. 1, a four compartment cabinet is illustrated as an example. The cabinet of this invention may have any desired shape and size, and it may have one or more compartments. The cabinet shown has a base 2 supported by legs 4. Extending upward from the base and secured together along the edges thereof are opposite end walls 6 and S, and a rear wall 10. Between the end walls 6 and 8, three partitions 12, 14 and T6 are shown as equally spaced from the end walls and from each other, and are secured to the base 2 and the rear wall it). A top 18 is secured to the top edges of the end walls 6 and 8, the back wall ill, and the 3 partitions 12, 14 and 16. The joints between the walls, partitions, base and top are shown as mortise and tenon joints, but any conventional method of joining these parts may be used.

The first compartment of the cabinet is formed between the end wall 8 and first partition 12 and is provided with drawer channels 20, 22 and 24. Two conventional box drawers 26 and 28 slide in the drawer channels 22 and 24. A dictation shelf 30 slides in the drawer channel 20. The sliding dictation shelf is supported in its extended position by bearing against the top 18.

The second and third compartments, which are between partitions 12 and 14 and 14 and 16, respectively, are provided with doors 32 and 34. The door 32 of the second compartment is a left opening door and the door 34- of the third compartment is a right opening door. Both of the doors are held in the closed positions by conventional magnetic catches 36. Pilaster standards 38 are secured to the side of the partition 14 in the third compartment. Similar standards opposed thereto are also secured against the side of the partition 16 in the third compartment and each of the standards 38 is adapted to support adjustably shelf brackets for mounting shelves in the compartment. One of the standards 38 in the compartment may be mounted over the rabbet 50, as shown in FIG. 2, to cover up the rabbet.

Drawer channels 40 and 42 are mounted in the fourth compartment in position to support a file drawer 44 and a box drawer 46 for sliding movement into and out of the fourth compartment.

A locking mechanism for simultaneously locking the dictation shelf 31 the drawers 26, 28, 44 and 45, and the doors 32 and 34, includes a gang locking bar 48 which extends from the end Wall 8 across partitions 12, 14 and 16, and terminates adjacent the end wall 6. Each of the partitions 12, 14 and 16 and the end wall 8 is provided the surface of the base 2 and, if desired, a torsion bearing may be interposed between the base 2 and the end of the rod 54. The drawer channels maintain the rods within their respective rabbets. The upper end portion of each rod 54 is bent in the form of a lever 56 adapted for swinging movement within the notch 52. At spaced intervals along the length of the rod 54, fingers 58 are secured to the rod 54. As shown in FIG. 5, the fingers 58 are formed from flat metal stock so as to protrude only slightly away from the face of the partitions.

The gang bar 48 is in the form of a half channel and has drawer lock notches 60 along the length thereof in position to engage a lever portion 56 in each of the partitions 12, 14 and 16, and the end wall 8. In the cabinet illustrated in the drawings, the rod 54 is mounted in the rabbets in the end wall 8 and in the partition 16 between the third and fourth compartments. The drawers in the first compartment are locked by means of a rod 54 in a rabbet 50 in the end wall 8.

The end of the gang bar .8 terminates in a recess 62 in the end wall 8, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. The drawer lock notch 64 at the end of the gang bar 43 is spaced from the end of the bar 48 and a flange portion 64 of the gang bar extends between the lever portion 56 of the rod 54 and the end of the bar 48. A guide wheel 66 which is secured to the top 13 bears against the flanged edge of the channel 48, and in cooperation with the vertical side of the notches 52 in the partitions 12, 14 and 16, prevents lateral displacement of the gang bar 48.

Each of the drawers is provided with a triangular slot 63 in position to receive an arm 58 when the drawer is in its rearmost position in the cabinet (FIG. 6). The slots 68 extend the full height of the drawers and large drawers, such as the file drawer 44, may be engaged by two arms 58, as shown in FIG. 1.

The lock for each door of the cabinet is substantially the same, whether the door is right opening or left opening. A lever 70 is mounted on a fulcrum screw 72 under the top 18 and secured thereto for swinging movement. The gang bar 48 is provided with a plurality of door lock notches 74 arranged at spaced intervals along the length of the gang bar and substantially intermediate the partitions of the cabinet. One end of each lever 70 engages in the notch 74 in its respective compartment. This forms a loose pivoted connection between the gang bar 48 and each lever 70. A bracket 76 is secured to the top of each door, in position to be engaged by a flange '78 formed on the opposite end of each lever 70.

Reciprocating movement is imparted to the gang bar 43 by means of a conventional key-operated lock mechanism 80. The lock mechanism 80 has an operating bar 82 which reciprocates when a key rotates the tumblers of the lock 80. When the key is in the locked position, the operating bar 82 (FIG. 2) is displaced sufliciently toward the end wall 6 to move the gang bar 48 and the levers 56 and 7 0 connected with the bar 48, sufliciently to lock the doors and drawers. The tumblers of the lock 80 extend through a hole 84 in the top 18 so that the gang bar 48 is controlled from an easily accessible location in the top of the cabinet.

In operation, the drawers and doors are closed and a key is inserted in the lock 80. While the key is turning in the lock, the operating bar 82 is retracted to move the gang bar 48 toward the end wall 6 sufliciently to swing the levers 56 and 70 so that the arms 58 engage in the slots 68 in the drawers and the flanges 78 engage in the brackets 76 of the doors to lock the cabinet. The cabinet is unlocked by reversing the movement of the key in the lock 31) to extend the operating bar 82 of the lock and move the gang bar 48 sufiiciently away from the end wall 6 to swing the levers 56 and '70 out of engagament with the drawers and doors respectively.

One of the important features of the invention is that the compartments are completely interchangeable. Since each of the partitions, drawer locking levers and door locking levers have substantially the same size and shape, different lengths of cabinets having two, three, four or more compartments may be assembled by combining the standard partitions and lock components, with a base and a top of the desired length to produce a cabinet in accordance with a customers specifications. For a drawer installation, a drawer lock rod 54 is inserted in the rabbet 50 in the partition and drawer channels are secured to the partition, in position to accommodate drawers. For a compartment having a door closure, a door is mounted on hinges on one of the partitions for right or left opening and pilaster standards 38 shelf brackets may be secured to the partition wall to cover up the rabbet 50. The lock mechanism for each compartment is capable of locking either drawers or doors, whichever are assembled in the compartments. The drawer locking rods 54 and the door locking levers 70 may be operated interchangeably by the gang bar 48. The door locking levers 70 are mounted under the top 18 so that they do not obstruct the use of the compartment.

While this invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A cabinet comprising a plurality'of substantially equally dimensioned compartments adapted to receive se lectively drawers or doors, each compartment having opposite side walls, one wall of each compartment having an upright rabbet therein and having a notch in the top edge thereof at the upper end of the rabbet, a gang bar extending longitudinally over the plurality of compartments through the notches, and means operatively connecting the drawers and .doors with the gang bar for simultaneously locking a drawer and a door in closed position, a portion .of said .drawer locking means being contained in said rabbet.

2. A cabinet comprising a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned compartments adapted to receive selectively drawers or doors, each compartment having opposite side walls, one wall of each compartment having an upright rabbetttherein and having a notch in the top edge thereof at the upper end of the rabbet, a gang bar extending longitudinally over the plurality of compartments through the notches, an upright locking device extending in the rabbet of one compartment having means for locking a drawer therein, means operatively connecting said locking device with the gang bar, and means in a separate compartment connected with the gang bar for locking a door in said separate compartment.

3. A furniture structure comprising a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned compartments, said compartments having opposite side walls and being arranged in side by side relation with a common base and top, means mounting drawers in at least one compartment, means mounting a door on at least one compartment, each of said side walls having a notch adjacent the top, a key controlled lock, a gang bar extending through said notches and said compartments, said key controlled lock having an operating bar adapted for reciprocating movement caused by the lock, means connecting the gang bar and the operating bar, and lever means in each drawer and door compartment connected to the gang bar whereby drawers and a door may be interchangeably assembled in each compartment and reciprocation of the operating bar locks the drawers and the doors simultaneously.

4. In a cabinet having a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned compartments arranged in side by side relation, at least one of the compartments having movable drawers and at least one of the compartments having a door, a lock for the door and the drawers comprising a gang lock bar extending through the compartments, first lever means in the compartments having drawers, said first lever means being movable into engagement with the drawers to prevent their movement, second lever means in the compartments having a door, said second lever means being movable into engagement with the door for holding the door closed, means connecting the first lever means and the second lever means with the gang lock bar for movement thereby and means for moving the gang lock bar relative to the compartments whereby drawers and a door may be interchangeably assembled in each compartment and the first lever means and second lever means are moved into and out of locking relation with the drawers and the doors.

5. A furniture structure comprising a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned compartments, said compartments having opposite side walls and being arranged in side by side relation with a common base and top, means mounting a drawer in at least one compartment, means mounting a door on at least one compartment, each of said side walls having a notch adjacent the top, a key controlled lock, a gang bar extending through said notches and said compartments, said key controlled lock having an operating bar adapted for reciprocating movement caused by the lock, means connecting the gang bar and the operating bar, an upright rod in said drawer compartment adjacent a side Wall, a drawer lever on the rod, said lever extending at right angles to the rod and into the notch, means on the rod for engaging the drawer upon swinging movement of said drawer lever to prevent outward movement of the drawer, a door lever in said door compartment, means mounting the door lever to the top for swinging movement, said door lever extending though said door compartment and terminating adjacent the door, a bracket on the door, means for interengaging the bracket and the door lever, means on the gangbar for overlapping on opposite sides of said drawer and door levers, said overlapping means being spaced at uniform intervals along the gang bar for selective assembly with a drawer or. a door lever in said compartments, whereby a door or a drawer may be interchangeably assembled in each compartment and longitudinal movement of the bar swings the drawer engaging means and the door bracket interengaging means into and out of locking engagement with the drawer and door, respectively.

6. A furniture structure comprising a plurality of substantially equally dimensioned compartments, said compartments having opposite side walls and being arranged in side by side relation with a common base and top, means mounting a drawer in at least one compartment, means mounting a door on at least one compartment, each of said side walls having a notch adjacent the top, a key controlled lock, a gang bar extending through said notches and said compartments, said key controlled lock having an operating bar adapted for reciprocating movement caused by the lock, means connecting the gang bar and the operating bar, said gang bar having a plurality of transverse slots therein, said slots being spaced apart longitudinally of the bar, a lever mounted in each drawer and door compartment for swinging movement and extending into one of said slots, means on each door compartment lever for engaging a portion of the door, and means on each drawer compartment lever for engaging a portion of the drawer whereby drawers and a door may be interchangeably assembled in each compartment and reciprocating movement of the operating bar locks the drawer and door simultaneously.

7. A cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for locking a drawer comprises a rod in the rabbet, said rod having a lever thereon extending into said notch, means on the gang bar for engaging the lever, means on the rod for engaging a drawer in the compartment upon swinging of said lever by longitudinal movement of the gang bar, whereby longitudinal movement of the gang bar simultaneously locks a drawer and a door in closed position.

8, A cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for locking a door comprises a lever, means mounting the lever on the top in the compartment for swinging movement, said lever extending from the gang bar to the door, a bracket on the door, means for interengaging the bracket and the lever, and means on the gang bar for engaging the lever, whereby upon longitudinal movement of the bar, the lever swings into and out of engagement with the bracket to lock and unlock, respectively, the door.

9. A composite furniture subassembly structure comprising a partition, a base, a side wall, a back Wall, a top, said partition having a rabbet extending between the base and the top, and having a notch adjacent the rabbet and the top, a drawer lever, means for mounting the drawer lever in the rabbet, said drawer lever having means thereon for engaging a drawer in the compartment upon swinging of said lever, a door lever, means for mounting the door lever for swinging movement on said top, a gang bar extending through the notch, and means mounting the gang bar for reciprocating movement in said notch, said gang bar having a plurality of slots therein, whereby the levers may be selectively assembled with the gang bar for looking a drawer or a door.

10. A cabinet comprising a plurality of compartments arranged in side by side relation and adapted to receive selectively drawers or doors, each compartment having opposite side walls, one side wall of each compartment having an upright rabbet therein and having a notch in the top edge thereof at the upper end of the rabbet, a gang bar extending through each notch, an upright locking device extending in the rabbet of each drawer compartment, said device having means for locking a drawer in said drawer compartment, means in each door compartment for looking a door in said door compartment, and means on the gang bar for individually engaging said drawer locking device and said door locking means, said engaging means being spaced at uniform intervals along the length of the gang bar, whereby a drawer or door may be selectively assembled and locked in each of the corn partments or" equal width.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,155 8/01 Tobey 3l2107.5 683,852 10/01 Ferry 312107.5

8 7/23 Yanchik 312333 X, 12/24 Wilhelm 312--219 X 9/33 Freiberg 312219 5/40 Siegel 312-218 2/51 Ryan 312218 9/58 Gittins 312218 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,931 of 1896 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

3. A FURNITURE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY DIMENSIONED COMPARTMENTS, SAID COMPARTMENTS HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS AND BEING ARRANGED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION WITH A COMMON BASE AND TOP, MEANS MOUNTING DRAWERS IN AT LEAST ONE COMPARTMENT, MEANS MOUNTING A DOOR ON AT LEAST ONE COMPARMENT, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A NOTCH ADJACENT THE TOP, A KEY CONTROLLED LOCK, A GANG BAR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID NOTCHES AND SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID KEY CONTROLLED LOCK HAVING AN OPERATING BAR ADAPTED FOR RECIPROCATING MOVE MENT CAUSED BY THE LOCK, MEANS CONNECTING THE GANG BAR AND THE OPER ATING BAR, AND LEVER MEANS IN EACH DRAWER AND DOOR COMPARTMENT CONNECTED TO THE GANG BAR WHEREBY DRAWERS AND A DOOR MAY BE INTERCHANGEABLY ASSEMBLED IN EACH COMPARTMENT AND RECIPROCATION OF THE OPERATION BAR LOCKS THE DRAWERS AND THE DOORS SIMULTANEOUSLY. 